Attack on Niger's airport highlights expansion of jihadis into Africa's Sahel region

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The gunfire and explosions that ripped through Niger's main international airport are the latest sign of armed groups increasingly targeting cities and urban centers in Africa's Sahel region, where they are competing for influence and territories, analysts say.

The al-Qaeda-linked JNIM jihadi group, the most potent in the Sahel region south of the Sahara desert, claimed responsibility for Thursday's attack at Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey that killed 11 soldiers...